Indian IT in April – June 2017

State Bank of India (SBI) creates history with the merger of five smaller banks (SBBJ, SBH, SBM, SBP and BMB) on April 1, 2017; joins the global Top 50 Club with 550+ million customers, 59,000 ATM’s and 24,000 branches, 725+ million accounts and 180+ million transactions / day

Emmanuel Macron elected French President – youngest in decades – on May 7, 2017

UK election on June 8, 2017 brings Theresa May back but as minority government!

Indian origin doctor Leo Vardakar elected Ireland’s PM on June 13, 2017

Google fined $ 2.7 Billion by EU on June 27, 2017

World’s first ATM turns 50 on June 27, 2017

India getting ready for GST on June 30, 2017 midnight

Science & Technology

India’s “South Asia Satellite” launched by ISRO on May 5, 2017; ISRO also launches heavy satellite (more than 4,000 Kg) on June 3, 2017, 31 satellites in one go including the Cartosat 17 satellite on June 23, 2017

Products

Lenovo launches Moto G5 in India in April 2017

Microsoft launches Windows 10S and Surface Laptop on May 2, 2017

Nokia 3310 launched in India at a special price of Rs 3,310 on May 16, 2017

Google launches Android O on May 18, 2017

Apple announces upgrade to iOS, Mac Sierra and upgraded 10.5″ iPad Pro, new iMac powered by Intel’s Kaby Lake processors and home music system HomePod on June 5, 2017

Nokia5 & Nokia 6 launched in India on June 14; actual sales from July 14, 2017

Shell announces a new a Tech Center in Bangalore (the third center globally after U.K. and Netherlands) on Apr 1, 2017

Panasonic setting up R&D unit in Bangalore in association with Tata Elxsi

Time, starts Center of Excellence in Bangalore in April 2017

Apple starts assembling iPhone SE in Wistron facility in Bangalore in May 2017

Panasonic sets up Center of Excellence in partnership with TCS in India in May 2017

General Motors decides to close down India ops; Volvo decides to start India operations, Kia Motors is talking of starting India operations – all in May 2017

Intel to invest ₹ 1,100 Cr in its Bangalore R & D Center as per June announcement

Bosch announces IOT-focused AI Research center in Bangalore on June 18, 2017; Bosch to hire 3,000 engineers in India in Year 2017

Assembled-in-India iPhones reach stores in India in June 2017

Education & Research

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore is the 8th among the Top 10 global small universities (Best Small Universities in the World for 2017, Times Higher Education Ranking); tops the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) 2017 list announced on April 3, 2017 for the second time

India-born MIT Professor Anantha Chandrakasan named Dean of MIT School of Engineering in June 2017

People

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky visits India in March 2017 and talks positively about Indian market